Radio altimeters determine altitude by transmitting a radio signal and timing the delay of the return echo. The time delay of the return echo is influenced by the height of the antenna above ground and by the amount of delay caused by the antenna cables.
Radio altimeters are installed at different distances from the ground depending on the aircraft and the particular installation parameters. Therefore, radio altimeters require calibration during installation. Calibration ensures that the radio altimeter indicates zero feet when the aircraft is on the ground. Current radio altimeter calibration technology requires the radio altimeter to be calibrated by adjusting the length of the cable connecting the radio altimeter to its antenna during installation. This calibration approach typically requires an excess length of antenna cable which is commonly referred to as an Aircraft Installation Delay (AID) cable. The calibration cable length must be calculated, then the cable must be trimmed to a precise length. As a result this technique often results in more antenna cable length than would otherwise be required, which results in excess weight and cost.